4VAC15-320-25: Creel and length limits

The creel limits, including live possession, and the length limits for the various species of fish shall be as follows, unless otherwise excepted by posted rules at department-owned or department-controlled waters (see 4VAC15-320-100 D).

Type of fish

Subtype or location

Creel and length limits

Geographic exceptions

Creel or length limits for exceptions

largemouth bass, smallmouth bass

5 per day in the aggregate (combined)

No statewide length limits

Lakes

Briery Creek Lake

No largemouth or smallmouth bass 16 to 24 inches; only 1 largemouth or smallmouth bass per day in the aggregate longer than 24 inches

Buggs Island (Kerr)

Only 2 of 5 largemouth or smallmouth bass in the aggregate less than 14 inches

Claytor Lake

No smallmouth bass less than 14 inches

Flannagan Reservoir

No smallmouth bass less than 15 inches

No largemouth bass less than 12 inches

Lake Gaston

Only 2 of 5 largemouth or smallmouth bass in the aggregate less than 14 inches

Leesville Reservoir

Only 2 of 5 largemouth or smallmouth bass in the aggregate less than 14 inches

Lake Moomaw

No largemouth or smallmouth bass less than 12 inches

Smith Mountain Lake and its tributaries below Niagara Dam

Only 2 of 5 largemouth or smallmouth bass in the aggregate less than 14 inches

Rivers

Clinch River – within the boundaries of Scott, Wise, Russell, or Tazewell Counties

No largemouth or smallmouth bass less than 20 inches; only 1 largemouth or smallmouth bass in the aggregate per day longer than 20 inches

Levisa Fork River – within the boundaries Buchanan County

No largemouth or smallmouth bass less than 20 inches; only 1 largemouth or smallmouth bass in the aggregate per day longer than 20 inches

Dan River and tributaries downstream from the Union Street Dam, Danville

Only 2 of 5 largemouth or smallmouth bass less than 14 inches

James River – Confluence of the Jackson and Cowpasture rivers (Botetourt County) downstream to the 14th Street Bridge in Richmond

No largemouth or smallmouth bass 14 to 22 inches; only 1 largemouth or smallmouth bass in the aggregate per day longer than 22 inches

New River – Fields Dam (Grayson County) downstream to the VA - WV state line and its tributaries Little River downstream from Little River Dam in Montgomery County, Big Walker Creek from the Norfolk Southern Railroad Bridge downstream to the New River, and Wolf Creek from the Narrows Dam downstream to the New River in Giles County (This does not include Claytor Lake, which is delineated as: The upper end of the island at Allisonia downstream to the dam)

No largemouth or smallmouth bass 14 to 22 inches; only 1 largemouth or smallmouth bass in the aggregate per day longer than 22 inches

North Fork Holston River - Rt. 91 bridge upstream of Saltville, VA downstream to the VA - TN state line

No largemouth or smallmouth bass less than 20 inches; only 1 largemouth or smallmouth bass in the aggregate per day longer than 20 inches

Potomac River - Virginia tidal tributaries above Rt. 301 bridge

No largemouth or smallmouth bass less than 15 inches from March 1 through June 15

Roanoke (Staunton) River - and its tributaries below Difficult Creek, Charlotte County

Only 2 of 5 largemouth or smallmouth bass in the aggregate less than 14 inches

Shenandoah River, South Fork Shenandoah River, North Fork Shenandoah River

No largemouth or smallmouth bass 11 to 14 inches

Staunton River -

Leesville Dam (Campbell County) downstream to the mouth of Difficult Creek, Charlotte County

No largemouth or smallmouth bass less than 20 inches; only 1 largemouth or smallmouth bass in the aggregate per day longer than 20 inches

Alabama bass, spotted bass

No statewide daily limit

No statewide length limit

striped bass

landlocked striped bass and landlocked striped bass - white bass hybrids

4 per day in the aggregate

No fish less than 20 inches

Buggs Island (Kerr) Reservoir, including the Staunton (Roanoke) River and its tributaries to Leesville Dam and the Dan River and its tributaries to Union Street Dam (Danville)

October 1 - May 31: 2 per day in the aggregate; no striped bass or hybrid striped bass less than 20 inches or greater than 26 inches

June 1 - September 30: 4 per day in the aggregate; no length limit

Claytor Lake and its tributaries

September 16 – June 30: 2 per day in the aggregate; no striped bass or hybrid bass less than 20 inches

July 1 – September 15: 4 per day in the aggregate;

no length limit

Smith Mountain Lake and its tributaries, including the Roanoke River upstream to Niagara Dam

2 per day in the aggregate

November 1 - May 31: No striped bass 30 to 40 inches

June 1 - October 31: No length limit

Lake Gaston

4 per day in the aggregate

October 1 - May 31: No striped bass or hybrid striped bass less than 20 inches

June 1 - September 30: No length limit

anadromous (coastal) striped bass above the fall line in all coastal rivers of the Chesapeake Bay and Crane Lake (City of Suffolk)

Creel and length limits shall be set by the Virginia Marine Resources Commission for recreational fishing in tidal waters

anadromous (coastal) in the Meherrin, Nottoway, Blackwater (Chowan Drainage), North Landing and Northwest Rivers and their tributaries plus Back Bay

No possession

white bass

5 per day

No statewide length limits

Buggs Island (Kerr) Reservoir, including the Staunton (Roanoke) River and its tributaries to Leesville Dam and the Dan River and its tributaries to Union Street Dam (Danville)

10 per day; no white bass less than 14 inches

Lake Gaston

10 per day; no white bass less than 14 inches

walleye, saugeye

5 per day in the aggregate

No walleye or saugeye less than 18 inches

Claytor Lake and the New River upstream of Claytor Lake Dam to Fries Dam in Grayson County

2 walleye per day; no walleye 19 to 28 inches

sauger

2 per day

No statewide length limits

yellow perch

No statewide daily limit

No statewide length limits

Lake Moomaw

10 per day

Below the fall line in all coastal rivers of the Chesapeake Bay

No yellow perch less than 9 inches; no daily limit

chain pickerel and northern pike

5 per day

No statewide length limits

Gaston and Buggs Island (Kerr) Reservoirs

No daily limit

muskellunge

1 per day

No muskellunge less than 40 inches

New River - Claytor Dam downstream to the VA - WV state line

1 per day

June 1 - last day of February: No muskellunge 40 to 48 inches

March 1 - May 31: No muskellunge less than 48 inches

bluegill (bream) and other sunfish excluding crappie, rock bass (redeye) and Roanoke bass

50 per day in the aggregate

No statewide length limits

Gaston and Buggs Island (Kerr) Reservoirs, including the Staunton (Roanoke) River and its tributaries to Difficult Creek, Charlotte County and the Dan River and its tributaries to the Banister River, Halifax County and that portion of the New River from the VA - NC state line downstream to the confluence of the New and Little Rivers in Grayson County

No daily limit

crappie (black or white)

25 per day in the aggregate

No statewide length limits

Lake Gaston and that portion of the New River from the VA - NC state line downstream to the confluence of the New and Little Rivers in Grayson County

No daily limit

Buggs Island (Kerr) Reservoir, including the Staunton (Roanoke) River and its tributaries to Difficult Creek, Charlotte County and the Dan River and its tributaries to the Banister River, Halifax County

No crappie less than 9 inches

Briery Creek and Sandy River Reservoirs

No crappie less than 9 inches

Flannagan and South Holston Reservoirs

No crappie less than 10 inches

rock bass (redeye)

25 per day; in the aggregate with Roanoke bass

No statewide length limits

Gaston and Buggs Island (Kerr) Reservoirs and that portion of the New River from the VA - NC state line downstream to the confluence of the New and Little Rivers in Grayson County

No daily limit

Nottoway, Meherrin, Blackwater (Franklin County), Blackwater (Chowan Drainage), Falling, and Smith Rivers and their tributaries

5 per day in the aggregate with Roanoke bass;

no rock bass less than 8 inches

Roanoke bass

25 per day in the aggregate with rock bass

No statewide length limits

Nottoway, Meherrin, Blackwater (Franklin County), Blackwater (Chowan Drainage), Falling, and Smith Rivers and their tributaries

5 per day in the aggregate with rock bass;

no Roanoke bass less than 8 inches

trout

See 4VAC15-330. Fish: Trout Fishing.

catfish

channel, white, and flathead catfish

20 per day;

No length limits

All rivers below the fall line

No daily limit

blue catfish

20 per day;

No statewide length limits

Lake Gaston

No daily limit, except only 1 blue catfish per day longer than 32 inches

Kerr Reservoir, including the Staunton (Roanoke) River and its tributaries to Difficult Creek, Charlotte County and the Dan River and its tributaries to the Banister River, Halifax County

20 per day, except only 1 blue catfish per day longer than 32 inches

James River and its tributaries below the fall line downstream to a line connecting Hog Point on Hog Island (Surry County) and the downstream point of the mouth of College Creek (James City County)

No daily limit, except only 1 blue catfish per day longer than 32 inches

All rivers below the fall line other than the James River and its tributaries, Rappahannock River and its tributaries, and the York River and its tributaries

No daily limit

hickory shad

Above and below the fall line in all coastal rivers of the Chesapeake Bay

Creel and length limits shall be the same as those set by the Virginia Marine Resources Commission in tidal rivers

Meherrin River below Emporia Dam Nottoway River, Blackwater River (Chowan Drainage), North Landing and Northwest Rivers, and their tributaries plus Back Bay

10 per day

No length limits

American shad

No possession

anadromous (coastal) alewife and blueback herring

Above and below the fall line in all coastal rivers of the Chesapeake Bay

Creel and length limits shall be the same as those set by the Virginia Marine Resources Commission for these species in tidal rivers

Meherrin River, Nottoway River, Blackwater River (Chowan Drainage), North Landing and Northwest Rivers, and their tributaries plus Back Bay

No possession

red drum

Back Bay and tributaries including Lake Tecumseh and the North Landing River and its tributaries

1 per day

No drum less than 18 inches or greater than 27 inches

spotted sea trout (speckled trout)

Back Bay and tributaries including Lake Tecumseh and the North Landing River and its tributaries

4 per day

No sea trout less than 14 inches

grey trout (weakfish)

Back Bay and tributaries including Lake Tecumseh and North Landing River and its tributaries

1 per day

No grey trout less than 12 inches

southern flounder

Back Bay and tributaries including Lake Tecumseh and the North Landing River and its tributaries

6 per day

No flounder less than 15 inches

northern snakehead

Anglers may possess snakeheads taken from Virginia waters if they immediately kill the fish and notify the headquarters or a regional office of the department; notification may be made by telephoning (804) 367-2925

No statewide daily limit

No statewide length limits

longnose gar

July 1 to April 14: 5 per day

April 15 to June 30: 1 per day

No statewide length limits

bowfin

July 1 to April 14: 5 per day

April 15 to June 30: 1 per day

No statewide length limits

American eel

25 per day

No eel less than 9 inches

Back Bay and North Landing River

No possession limit for those individuals possessing a permit obtained under 4VAC15-340-80

other native or naturalized nongame fish

See 4VAC15-360-10. Fish: Aquatic Invertebrates, Amphibians, Reptiles, and Nongame Fish. Taking aquatic invertebrates, amphibians, reptiles, and nongame fish for private use.

endangered or threatened fish

See 4VAC15-20-130. Definitions and Miscellaneous: In General. Endangered and threatened species; adoption of federal list; additional species enumerated.

nonnative (exotic) fish

See 4VAC15-30-40. Definitions and Miscellaneous: Importation, Possession, Sale, Etc., of Animals. Importation requirements, possession and sale of nonnative (exotic) animals.